title: Do cardiomyocytes mount an immune response to Group A Streptococcus?
abstract: Some patients with Group A Streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (StrepTSS) develop a unique form of cardiomyopathy characterized by global hypokinesia and reduced cardiac index. Here we investigated the immune responses of cardiomyocytes to Group A Streptococcus both in vivo and in vitro. Our data demonstrate that cardiomyocyte-derived cytokines are produced following both direct GAS stimulation and after exposure to GAS-activated inflammatory cells. These locally produced, cardiomyocyte-derived cytokines may mediate cardiac contractile dysfunction observed in patients with StrepTSS-associated cardiomyopathy and may hold the key to our ability to attenuate this severe complication.
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases Section, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Boise, ID 83702, USA. Zhi.Li@va.gov
authors.forename: Zhi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Amy E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Bryant
authors.forename: Stephanie M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Hamilton
authors.forename: Clifford R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Bayer
authors.forename: Yongsheng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Dennis L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Stevens
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System; D007249:Inflammation; D008264:Macrophages / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012772:Shock, Septic / Q000378:metabolism; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines